Airline · OS
Austrian Airlines
Austria
Ptrump16 — CC BY-SA 4.0
History
The Story of Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines was officially founded on September 30, 1957, under the corporate name Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG through the merger of Air Austria and Austrian Airways, though its aviation roots trace back to the establishment of predecessor ÖLAG in 1923. The carrier commenced scheduled operations on March 31, 1958, utilizing a leased Vickers Viscount on a route connecting Vienna to Zurich and London. Throughout the subsequent decades, the airline expanded its network to become Austria's principal flag carrier, establishing Vienna International Airport as a major strategic gateway bridging Western Europe with Central and Eastern Europe.
During the late 1990s and 2000s, Austrian Airlines pursued regional consolidation and strategic partnerships, joining the Star Alliance network in 2000. Financial pressures and shifting European airline economics eventually led to a state-backed privatization process, resulting in the airline's acquisition by the Lufthansa Group in 2009. Today, Austrian Airlines operates as an integrated network carrier within the Lufthansa Group, maintaining its operational hub at Vienna and servicing an extensive short-, medium-, and long-haul destination portfolio.
Branding
Livery & Visual Identity
Over its operational history, Austrian Airlines has transitioned through several distinct visual identities. Early decades featured standard corporate schemes incorporating the national red-white-red colors. A major rebrand in the 1990s and 2000s introduced a signature metallic grey belly paired with a prominent red-and-white 'arrow' or chevron logo on the tailfin, symbolizing forward motion.
In 2018, coinciding with its 60th anniversary, the airline rolled out a modernized livery designed to optimize digital and mobile media recognition. This contemporary design simplified the tail chevron and dropped the previous grey fuselage underbelly in favor of a clean, all-white aesthetic featuring bold red 'Austrian' typography across the forward fuselage, while retaining traditional touches such as the welcoming 'Servus' greeting painted near the aircraft belly.